The Day The Earth Stood Still Review
I got to see this in IMAX that day it came out. I thought it wasn’t too bad versus the original.
I thought the relationship with the boy was more realistic and provided a much more organic transition for Klaatu. The same goes for the professor, his character was more natural than the original and provided a better counterpoint to Klaatu. John Cleese was fantastic but I was sorely disappointed when the audience would chuckle after ever line he said. It’s upsetting because people were so poorly prepared for him to do a serious role and even worse because they were laughing no matter what he said which makes me think they weren’t even listening, or thinking. That makes me sad for the unthinking cattle of humanity and it takes a little something away from the laughs he’s gotten in previous roles if you’re ready to laugh at anything. It’s like when Data tried to do humour and the holodeck audience laughed at everything, even when all he did was raise his hand. It’s so sad it almost makes you want to cry – not just for the artist but it makes you want to weep for humanity that so many of us have become a holo-audience (hollow audience? See what I did there? Only laugh if it’s funny, I don’t need your pity).
I was largely disappointed with the nanobots; I was already very familiar with the concept, and not just from TNG’s ‘Evolution’ or all the Borg’s use of nanoprobes but in Political Science it’s a well-known and respected (and feared) End Of Days scenario generally referred to as ‘The Great Grey Mass’ which is basically poorly programmed nanites getting out of control. So with that background I found the idea tired and predictable. I also found the lack of the famous catch phrase extremely disappointing. Allegedly Klaatu says it both in reverse and properly at the end but I didn’t hear it and thanks to my Christmas gift from Jon I know there’s nothing wrong with my hearing.
And what’s with them hiding under the Cloverfield bridge?! I nearly shouted “what the hell are we doing back here?!” when it happened; a painful lack of originality with that location choice.
So in some areas I found it an updated improvement (Klaatu breaking out of the government facility was pretty cool) and in other areas (the ending) it somewhat lacking so I think overall it balanced out. So for me no cartwheels of joy but no cries of heresy either.
